Recess Is Over: Time for the Legislature to End Year of Inaction on Christie Education Reform Bills

The Senate And The Assembly Can And Must Act On Several Critical Pieces Of Reform Legislation To Ensure That Every New Jersey Child Has Access To An High Quality Education The School Children First Act
S-2881 Introduced in the Senate: 5/19/11; A-4168 Introduced in the Assembly: 6/23/11 The quality of the teacher in front of the classroom is the most important in-school factor affecting student achievement. New Jersey must establish a system that rewards the many quality educators in our state, provide support to those who need improvement, and, when necessary, remove those who are unable to improve. Modeled after Governor Christies proposals, The School Children First Act reforms the rules for teacher evaluation, tenure and compensation to ensure that teachers and schools are held accountable for student progress while rewarding excellence:

Evaluating Teacher Effectiveness: This bill establishes an evaluation system for teachers based on multiple performance measures: o There will be four annual rating categories: ineffective, partially effective, effective, and highly effective. o Teacher evaluations will be based in part on classroom observation by trained professionals. o 50 percent of the evaluations will also be based on objective, quantifiable measures of student learning. o Struggling teachers will be provided meaningful opportunity to improve before receiving an ineffective rating. o This evaluation system will used in making decisions such as compensation and the awarding of tenure. Tenure Based On Effectiveness: The bill will change the states antiquated tenure rules so that teachers will keep or receive tenure based on what matters the most whether students are actually learning. o Teachers will earn tenure if they are rated effective or highly-effective for three years in a row. o A teacher will lose tenure if they are rated ineffective and may be subject to dismissal by either the board of education or the school principal. Compensation Based On Need: The bill requires school districts to adopt a compensation policy designed to attract and retain effective teachers, especially in New Jerseys most challenging schools and fields. o Teaching in a failing school and teaching in a difficult to staff subject area will be factors that determine a teachers compensation. Protecting Quality Teachers: The bill also stipulates that teacher layoffs must take into account effectiveness rather than relying solely on seniority, ensuring that New Jersey public schools retain the best teachers. End Forced Placement: A teacher will no longer be assigned to a school without the mutual consent of the teacher and principal of the school. o If a principal does not consent, the teacher may continue to receive compensation as they continue to search for a mutually agreeable placement. o If such as placement is not found after 12 months, the teacher may be placed on permanent unpaid leave.

Governor Christie: Lets talk first about what this issue really is and what it isnt. This is not an issue about attacking teachers. This is not an issue about saying teachers are bad and need to be thrown out of schools. This is, in fact, exactly the opposite. This issue is about first and foremost our children and how much those teachers who really are good and really care about education, how they can be empowered to teach those children and prepare them better for higher education or for a career."

The Opportunity Scholarship Act

S-1872 Introduced in the Senate: 5/10/10; A-2810 Introduced in the Assembly: 6/10/10 Every child deserves a high-quality education, but too often, low-income and lower middle-income children are trapped in failing schools. The Opportunity Scholarship Act will help thousands of children escape their chronically failing schools by establishing a tax credit program to fund scholarships for low-income students in the states lowest performing public schools. The scholarships will enable students to attend out-of-district public schools, or non-public schools anywhere in the state that choose to participate in the program.

The bill establishes a five-year pilot program to provide tax credits to entities contributing to scholarships for certain low-income students in districts with chronically failing schools. The bill defines a chronically failing school as one in which, for the past two school years: o More than 40% of the students did not pass the language arts and math subject areas of State assessments; o Or more than 65% of students did not pass either the language arts or mathematics subject areas. The bill also establishes a five-year Educational Innovation Pilot Program in the Department of Education, under which the DOE will award competitive grants to chronically failing schools to implement innovative educational programs.

Governor Christie: I will sign this Legislation if it reaches my desk. It is just that important. Its about parental choice its about parents having the opportunity to choose whats best for their child regardless of their economic circumstances or their zip code. Now I dont know who could be opposed to that.

Charter Reform Bill

A-4167 Introduced in the Assembly: 6/23/11 Sweeping changes to New Jerseys charter school laws are needed to remove barriers and roadblocks to the growth of high-quality charter schools. The current laws and rules governing charter schools act as a deterrent to growth instead of fostering expansion. It is time to aggressively encourage some of the nations most-respected and successful charter school operators to come to New Jersey while making it possible to implement the same model of innovation and results in other new and existing charter schools. The Charter Reform bill will encourage greater expansion and innovation of high-quality charter schools: Permitting public higher education institutions as well as local boards of education to act as charter school authorizers. o These authorizers will also be responsible for soliciting, approving, overseeing and evaluating charter schools. Expanding the list of entities that may establish a charter school, including private for-profit operators. Permitting local boards of education to convert a district school to a charter school, and the commissioner to convert a failing public school to a charter school. If the charter school founder has been designated a high performing charter school, or if the charter school founder is designated as an approved operator their application will be eligible for a streamlined application process. The bill also makes several changes to help charter schools succeed: o Eliminates the requirement that all teachers and support staff at a charter school hold the appropriate New Jersey certification; o Extends the limited length of charter school renewals;

Gives charter schools the right of first refusal to purchase or lease at or below fair market value a closed public school facility or property.

Governor Christie: It is not acceptable that a child who is neglected in a New Jersey school must accept it because of their zip code. Charter schools give parents and children a choice and provide a much-needed alternative to help ensure every child in New Jersey receives a quality education. We cannot ask children and families that have been relegated to failing public schools to wait any longer for relief while their hope is stolen away.

Urban Hope Act

S-3002 Introduced in the Senate: 7/7/11; A-4264 Introduced in the Assembly: 11/10/11 The Urban Hope Act is designed to expand the education options available for children and parents who are trapped in some of New Jerseys school districts with the largest achievement gaps. The bill authorizes the conversion of failing schools into charter schools, and the designation of five failing school districts as Transformation School districts: The board of education of a failing district may apply to DOE to be designated a transformation school district. If a district is designated as failing, then one or more school management organizations can apply to DOE to create up to a total of two transformation school projects in the district. A transformation school project approved under this bill would be authorized for 5 years. DOE will annually assess whether transformation school projects are meeting certain goals and improving student achievement. Governor Christie: While we pursue a comprehensive reform agenda to deliver positive results to every student in New Jersey, we simply cannot continue asking parents and children in failing schools to wait for relief. This pilot program will provide an innovative alternative for those children who need it most, bolstering our efforts to ensure opportunity for every child in our state. Perhaps most importantly, through the knowledge that change is on the way, this program will begin to restore hope in communities where failing schools deny children hope and opportunity.